Monday, March 4, 2013

Pillbugs - Marikesh "Love Is What You Want"

I'm a recent Pillbugs convert, largely due to the tireless efforts of Power Pop blog guru Mick Dillingham. The Akron, Ohio based band has a trippy Power Pop meets Psychodalia sound approximating XTC's "Dukes of Stratosphere" side project. Some great songs in there. All of the Pillbug releases are well worth your time. Highly recommended. What follows is an anonymous guest post of an early Pillbugs side project. Thanks friend for sharing this rare find...

In the late 1970s Mark Mikel and two childhood friends, Scott Tabner &; Ian McCormack formed a neighborhood garage band that eventually became Marikesh. Marikesh released two singles prior to the 1985 release of their only lp, “Love Is What You Want,” which was recorded & produced in Mikel’s home studio.Over the next few years Mikel continued recording in his studio, occasionally able to pull together the other band members, but new Marikesh material was not forthcoming. At some point Marikesh ceased to exist and Mark, along with another friend, Mark Kelley, formed a new group: the Mark Mikel Hallucination – which also included Dave Murnen & Dan Chalmers. The home recordings continued. After a series of lead guitarists, the Hallucination added Scott Tabner and The Pillbugs were born.This post contains the “Love Is What You Want” lp (no cd re-issue yet) one side of one of the pre-lp 45’s (Crazy on Cristmas (sic)), and several unreleased home recordings. For comparison’s sake, much of the Marikesh material tends to the heavier side of the Pillbugs (similar to the first, self-titled, Pillbugs cd), but their flower-power popsike would fit comfortably on “3-Dimensional In-Popcycle Dream.” Best of all, as it was recorded at home with Mikel producing, there’s no attempt to approximate the Steve Lillywhite-drum sound so prevalent at the time. If anyone has the other three 45 sides (Rock Garden/The Sky and Look) please let me know.1 The Dr. F's Creation2 Onto the Sea of Sound3 Love is What You Want4 Taking On a Day5 Sam The Computer6 Frogtown7 The Policeman Can8 When I Grow Up Ill Be a Spy9 Mother's Eyes No. 110 If Someday Was Tomorrow 11 Standing Still12 Lend Me a Flower13 Everybody's Driving in the Rain14 Mother's Eyes No. 215 Judy's Aquarium16 She's The Girl17 Capitol L-O-V-E18 Don't Be Afraid19 Where Have You Been20 I'm Sorry Bad About You21 Together22 The Drive23 Crazy on Christmas

Power Pop

What can I say? I love Power Pop. Classic Power Pop - the kind made great by Jellyfish, Wondermints the Candy Butchers, the Wannadies and XTC. There are lots of other kinds of great music out there. But I'm going to concentrate on classic Power Pop here.